- BGG rating
- 7.7
Madeira: The Harvester
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #720
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Madeira
2013
Rules assistance for Madeira
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 60–150 min
- 12+
- Complexity 4.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Madeira
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Madeira is a board game released in 2013 for 2–4 players, 60–150 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Paulo Soledade and Nuno Bizarro Sentieiro and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Area Majority / Influence, and Turn Order: Stat-Based.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Madeira: The Ambassadors
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2014
- BGG rating
- 4.6
Madeira: Expansion
- 2–4 players
- 60–150 min
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,012
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Panamax
- 2–4 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #333
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Nippon: Zaibatsu
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,681
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Asian Tigers: A Story of Prosperity
- 1–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #566
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Nippon
- 2–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,228
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Arraial
- 1–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,333
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Movers & Shakers
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #156
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Vinhos: Deluxe Edition
- 1–4 players
- 90–180 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #72
- BGG rating
- 8.0
The White Castle
- 1–4 players
- 80 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #209
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan
- 2–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #788
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Carson City
- 2–5 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2009
- BGG rating
- 8.2
The Danes
- 1–4 players
- 90–180 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2027
- BGG rank
- BGG #874
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Saltfjord
- 1–4 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2024
About the game
Madeira is an island officially discovered early in the 15th century by Portuguese seafarers. Madeira, the Portuguese word for wood, refers to the dense forest that covered its wild, fertile landscape. This, and its strategic position far into the Atlantic Ocean made the island one of the most significant Portuguese discoveries. Madeira served as a “laboratory” for what would become the Portuguese Empire. Wheat plantations were the first means for survival on the island. After that, when D. Henrique decided to increase the economy of the Empire, sugar became the core business of Madeira. Once sugar started coming from other places in the world, such as Africa and Brazil, profits from sugar were no longer enough, and production of the very famous Madeira wine became the most important economic product of the island. Players try to adapt themselves to these constraints, working to find better fields for farming the right goods and for obtaining precious wood, essential for erecting new structures in the cities and for building ships. In turn, the ships are crucial for trading in foreign markets, as well as for taking part in new expeditions to discover other countries. Madeira has been established just as it was in the original administrative division of the island under 3 captaincies (Funchal, Machico, and Porto Santo), where the ultimate goal is to develop the Island, gaining the most prestige under and for the Portuguese Crown. The Crown of Portugal has a series of requests regarding expeditions, urbanization, opening trade routes, increasing wealth, and controlling the guilds on the islands. Three times during the game, the players gain prestige for fulfilling certain requests by the Crown. At two other times, the Crown requests that the islands change the focus of their agriculture due to the changes in the world. Players must carefully choose the correct timing to show their achievements. Too early and you don’t gain as much prestige, too late and you risk someone else stealing the best opportunities. Will you have what it takes to excel in all of these endeavors? Beware, wheat may become scarce, money is never enough, the population is hungry, and the shadow of piracy looms large….
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- 999 Games
- Red Glove
- IELLO
- hobbity.eu
- What's Your Game?
Questions and answers
Madeira supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Madeira is 60–150 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Madeira for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Madeira has a complexity rating of 4.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Madeira belongs to these categories: Economic, Nautical, and Farming. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Area Majority / Influence, and Turn Order: Stat-Based. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Madeira are: Paulo Soledade and Nuno Bizarro Sentieiro. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Madeira as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.